The Acorn reports:
"An independent review cited by Parents Against SSFL and other monitoring groups found 88 readings above natural background at the former plutonium fuel facility.
A 2023 Health Physics study reported historical plutonium-239 detections in Area IV soil. Plutonium is radioactive and can pose serious health risks if inhaled or ingested, increasing the risk of cancer.
'Boeing should prove to us that plutonium 239 won’t get into our water or air during the demolition and disposal,' said Melissa Bumstead, area resident and co-director of Parents Against SSFL (PASSFL) whose young daughter survived brain cancer twice.
'Just because what Boeing is doing is legal doesn’t mean it’s safe,' Bumstead said.
In 2013, the groups Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles, Southern California Federation of Scientists, Committee to Bridge the Gap and Consumer Watchdog won a temporary injunction challenging demolition and radioactive waste disposal at SSFL. Courts ruled against them in 2018 and 2023, finding the work did not require California Environmental Quality Act review, which can mandate environmental analysis and public comment."